Carney said that Canadians who fail to file a return when they earn under the basic personal amount means Canadians “who most need benefits often don’t get them.”
Those benefits include the GST/HST tax credit, the Canada child benefit, the Canada workers benefit, the Canadian disability benefit and the disability tax credit.
And how does one collect such benefits? Cash at a Service Canada office? Maybe their GST cheques will be sent to their tent city?
Think of how this will play out.
A person living with disabilities who would normally be destitute would already be filing taxes voluntarily to get those benefits. A homeless person with no means of knowing of this won’t just magically receive these benefits.
They do not and they cannot legally derive your living address from your employer. The CRA does not have the powers of the IRS, you have to voluntarily tell them:
your address
your phone number
your bank account info, with consent to deposit
They will happily send mail to your last known address for years.
So once again, I’m asking how this will help the marginalized and vulnerable people this move purports to help, if their not being fully “in the system” is reason they don’t get benefits. More than half of the people my wife works with (the vulnerable and marginalized) do not file cra income tax.
This the same thing as someone else here described, where dental care for sub-poverty folks cannot use the system if they haven’t filed taxes the previous year. The overlap of ppl who need dental care and who haven’t filed taxes in years is high.
I don’t think I’d call it a “catch”.
And how does one collect such benefits? Cash at a Service Canada office? Maybe their GST cheques will be sent to their tent city?
Think of how this will play out.
A person living with disabilities who would normally be destitute would already be filing taxes voluntarily to get those benefits. A homeless person with no means of knowing of this won’t just magically receive these benefits.
So what is the benefit of this manoeuvre?
…not all low-income people are homeless?
Again, homeless or not, how will gov.gc.ca know where to send or deposit the money if your details aren’t known to them?
If the gov doesn’t have your returns, it isn’t likely they know where you live.
If you have a SIN and are employed somewhere even part time they likely know.
They do not and they cannot legally derive your living address from your employer. The CRA does not have the powers of the IRS, you have to voluntarily tell them:
They will happily send mail to your last known address for years.
So once again, I’m asking how this will help the marginalized and vulnerable people this move purports to help, if their not being fully “in the system” is reason they don’t get benefits. More than half of the people my wife works with (the vulnerable and marginalized) do not file cra income tax.
This the same thing as someone else here described, where dental care for sub-poverty folks cannot use the system if they haven’t filed taxes the previous year. The overlap of ppl who need dental care and who haven’t filed taxes in years is high.